Chromatics
by Frostfoot-Dreamleaf
Summary: /By the age of 14, Katara had come to terms with the fact she'd never see in color. Then, Prince Zuko came for the Avatar./ Prompt one-shot; Zutara trope in which you see in black and white until you see your soulmate.


**So, on stories, if someone leaves ten reviews, to thank them I write a drabble. Sometimes they turn out really, really good. On Watpad and A03, this story is posted under the collection called 'Karios' and it doesn't have a name. On my tumblr, youngbloodlex22, it's just posted individually!**

 **Hope you good people here on enjoy it too :)**

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By the age of 14, Katara had come to terms with the fact she'd never see in color.  
It was okay, she told herself, because most people never found their soulmate. In fact, in the whole of the South Pole she only knew two people who saw color; her father and her grandmother. And, both of those people were now alone, so maybe it was better this way anyway.  
Katara knew she'd probably die on this piece of floating ice. She'd marry a perfectly nice boy, have perfectly nice kids, and maybe do waterbending here or there. This all seemed rather set in stone.  
Until she met Aang.  
She would have never thought that meeting Aang would be the catalyst, not when she blinked and the world was still in black and white and all she felt was disappointment. She'd been so sure that a new male figure that she just happened to coincidentally come up on had to be her soulmate, but here she was, wrong.  
And that sort of killed the last bit of hope she had, however small.  
Aang seemed equally as disappointed, but he hid it better.  
But, he was still fun and so unlike anyone else in their war-torn village that she couldn't help but go along with him to ride penguins and go into that creaking ship no one was supposed to go to. Katara wasn't usually so careless, but she chalked it up to the anger she felt, the anger that even if her soulmate was out there, she'd never meet him because she was undeniably stuck here. She was stuck and Aang wasn't even going to stick around; he could leave, he would leave. Katara would be all alone with her thoughts and grayscale world again. So Katara, like an idiot, went into the ship.  
They tripped that bobby-trap, and well, what came next was nothing good.  
She watched as the Fire Nation vessel plowed through Sokka's carefully crafted lookout, as though it was so insignificant. Everyone here was insignificant, to him, she figured.  
He had such an air of leadership from the first moment she saw him. He was tall, thin and the ultimate enemy. He also was a fighter, because he dispatched Sokka within seconds (although, Katara would later say, Sokka was stupid to even try).  
But Katara couldn't focus on any of that. All she could focus on was that she could see his eyes were golden.  
No one else in the village saw the way she sucked in hard, the way she stumbled a foot or two as the world spun on its axis, or the sheer terror that plagued her.  
He saw. Prince Zuko, someone had said his name, he saw her and he understood. The Prince of the nation that had only ever brought her tribe agony was her soulmate.  
The spirits must be having a good laugh about this.  
And she knew from the way he just stopped, the way he paused the fire that he held on his fingertips died, that he too could see the blue in Katara's eyes, the purple in her dress, and the red flush to her cheeks.  
There were many other colors that overwhelmed his sense, but alas, all he saw was her.  
Sokka might not have been the best fighter out there, but to say he wasn't an opportunist would be wrong. Sokka saw him falter for some unknown reason and had grabbed the prince, producing a knife from his boot and dragged the invader in front of his crew and pressed the weapon against the boy's neck. This prince was hardly older than Sokka, and Sokka had never killed anyone, but he would. He absolutely would, if he felt like he needed to. There was a pair of handcuffs that had been left that his father always told him to put on a firebender, if they ever came back. They could make the metal hot, but it would take a lot to burn through it. Zuko hardly budged when he had one of the male children snap them on. Sokka grabbed the Prince's hair, sucking in a deep breath.  
"One move and I slice his throat," Sokka's hands wobbled and his voice shook, but he was able to press the knife hard enough to draw blood.  
The crew made a motion to burn the place; but what could they really burn here, and the women in the village protectively stood too, a war just on the brink of happening.  
Katara felt like she couldn't breathe. She couldn't tell Sokka not to hurt him, just because he was her soulmate, but she couldn't let this happen either.  
Luckily, before Katara had to make any hard choices, a portly older gentleman walked down the gangplank.  
"Stand down, he's not lying," He advised, catching Sokka's eyes. Whoever he was was someone important, because everyone listened, "Now, who can we talk terms to?"  
"Me," Sokka still sounded like a child, Katara noted, but he wasn't shivering, "I am the leader right now while the men are away."  
Katara took a step forward, but her grandmother grabbed her arm tightly.  
"We just want the Avatar," Zuko growled, jerking himself to look at Aang, "Just give us him and we'll leave."  
"You're not in a position to make demands." If Sokka was shocked about the Avatar, as Katara was, he didn't look it.  
"Sokka, maybe-,"  
"No, Aang. We have this." Sokka snapped. Aang looked helplessly at Katara.  
"What is it that you want?"  
"Leave. Leave this place. Don't return." Sokka's demanded. The man's eyes slid over to the Prince, "We'll take him as our prisoner of war. If you all want him back so badly, we can negotiate then."  
The man raised a hand, eyeing Zuko, who was not eyeing the Avatar, but was instead looking at a village girl. She was trying not to look at him either.  
In that moment, Iron understood.  
He gathered his men, "We will be out on the water, writing home. We will get the Prince back, but we will not fight you now. Do I have your word that you will not harm my nephew?"  
"I will not kill him," Sokka said, making a show of lessening the pressure, but still kept the knife there, "Let me see you go."  
And so, they did.  
There was the question of where to keep the Prince, after the ship had left. Sokka finally became frustrated and knocked him out, before leaving him tied and bound in a smaller hut. He felt exhausted by victorious and that night everyone was celebrating him.  
So, it was easy for Katara to sneak into where he was.  
Zuko awoke to someone pouring cold water over his face. He sputtered, about to raise hell, before a finger was pressed to his lips.  
He looked up to see the girl, the girl that gave him color, standing above him.  
"Shh," She motioned to a shadowy figure outside the doors.  
"How did you…?" He asked, frowning.  
She was working on getting him out of the ropes and cuffs.  
"If I let you go now, will you not come back? Will you leave us alone? Even if Aang stays here?"  
"You're letting me go, I'm a very good bargaining chip…."  
"Katara." She whispered, "Answer." A demand, not a question.  
"I will not come back." He couldn't deny her, "But as soon as Aang leaves…" He frowned, "I make no promises about the Avatar."  
Katara turned, sliding a wall down in the ice.  
"Watebender," He whispered, "I thought they were all-,"  
"I'm the last one." She bit her lip, looking torn, "How do I know you're telling the truth?"  
"Why did you let me go?" He asked, flexing his wrists and running the pads of his fingers on the new wound around his neck.  
She almost smiled, "I imagine our answers are one in the same." The grin dropped, "Please, just go, now...before I really regret this."  
"Katara, I…" Zuko began, pausing. He thought better of it, and ran off across the cold tundra into the night. He managed to connect back with this ship at dawn, and while the colors of the morning sun were brilliant, nothing compared to the blue of Katara's eyes.

Katara and Zuko continue to pass each other, like ships in the night. She goes with Aang, he does not stop looking for Aang. When they are apart, the world is still in color but it is duller. Things are not as beautiful. Katara always knows when Zuko is around because suddenly the world looks wonderful to her again.  
She does not tell her brother or Aang about her revelation.  
Zuko does not tell anyone, but somehow, Iroh still finds out.  
Zuko is always antsier, Iroh notices, days before they intercept the Avatar again. He sees in color as well, so he knows it must mean Zuko is smart enough to chart the changes in the way the colors pop out. He must capture the Avatar. He might need to do awful things to capture the Avatar. He does not want to do awful things to Katara. Iroh understands his dilemma.  
They both feel the tug to each other, something so natural that Katara almost wants to stop ignoring it.  
They are two people, caught on different sides of a war that she's been hearing about her whole life.  
Once, they manage to talk about it. She will not leave the Avatar, he will not stop trying to regain his honor. That should be the end of it. That should be where this thing between them stops.  
But having a soulmate isn't like that, and the spirits would just keep laughing at her, she decides.  
When Zuko saves her from the pirates something within her wakes. It wakes him too. If she's recounting it back, that's the point in which she knew this between them was always going to happen.  
And Katara hasn't ever kissed a boy before but she can't help but steal a kiss before they both leave again. Parting is harder this time.

And so it goes, the pair meet up when they can, steal little moments. In the Northern Water Tribe, Zuko pulls her into a room and can't help but kiss her, letting his hands roam. He knows what he's supposed to be doing, he knows he's supposed to be getting Aang and killing the water spirits.  
Katara knows she should be fighting him. She should be pushing him away, she should be shoving at his shoulders. Her hands are also preoccupied, as it were.  
He's nearly killed, and he and Iroh leave. Aang is still okay. Katara cannot stop thinking of Zuko.

They do not see each other for a long time. Katara continues to help Aang, Zuko ends up in Ba Sing Se.  
Once Katara messes up in front of Sokka, Aang, and Toph. She comments about a colored detail of something.  
"You've found your soulmate?" Sokka's reply is strangled. She curses inwardly.  
"Soulmate stuff is bullshit," Toph snorts, "Since I can't see anyway."  
Katara still is silent.  
"Well, who was it? It wasn't Jet was it? I'm going to murder Jet," Sokka is rambling now, fists out and eyes blazing.  
"No, it wasn't him! I don't know, we've seen a lot of faces while traveling. It could be anyone." She says in a rush. Sokka seems to believe this- he wants to think his sister would tell him if she knew- and lets it go. Katara tries not to feel bad at Aang's absolutely devastated expression.  
It's only later that Katara realizes that Toph knows she's lying, but she does not say anything about it. Toph does not bring it up either.  
Sometimes, Toph can be okay.

Somehow, without ever messing up, it seems everyone knows that Zuko now sees in color. He has a feeling it started with his Uncle. It wouldn't have been his Uncle's intention to tell anyone, but maybe an event with a little too much liquor would have done him in.  
A lot of people are curious, but don't seem to press it.  
He goes on one date, and she's nice enough, until she sighs.  
"I know you see color. I'm not your soulmate, so maybe I'm a bad person to even want to date you."  
"She's not around," Zuko feels the ache for Katara deep within.  
"She will be one day." Song seems so sure. Zuko isn't, however, life does throw them together all the time. He almost admits to her how somewhere along his chasing of Aang, it became more about seeing Katara again. But he does not.

When Katara sees him through the window of a dingy tea shop, she nearly can't believe it.  
She waits for him out back, grabbing him and hugging him tightly. She didn't think he's dead; she would have felt it, and she should hate herself for how worried she was about him.  
His hair is longer, and it looks good.  
"I'm so glad!" She muttered into his tea apron, half angry and half relieved, and Zuko just presses her closer to him.  
There's so much he wants to tell her, but in the end, all he can do is kiss her again. And again, and again. He'll be sure to notice the firey red of her garments, the gold clasps, her chocolate hair, the pink of her lips and the blue of her eyes.  
He'll remember this in the caves later.

"Come with me," Katara asks, desperate, "You are not the same person anymore."  
She wants to tell him about how she'd never realized how pretty the green glow of these crystals are if it weren't for him. She wants to tell him how all her dreams are in black and white, still, unless he appears, which has been happening increasingly.  
Katara wants this to be a happy ending.  
She should have known better.  
Zuko goes back with Azula and Katara is left with a nearly dead Avatar, wondering how and why and what right does the universe have to give her so much misery.

She will rescind these thoughts when Zuko reappears. She is so angry with him she can't even look at him, so betrayed, but so glad all at the same time.  
He says he's different. He says he's not the same person anymore. His words mirror his, and while it's a plea directed at Aang, it's said for Katara.  
She does not want to believe him, after all this. Katara hates how weak she is toward him. Zuko is willing to wait for her forgiveness.

It isn't until he helps her track down the person that killed her mother that she truly lets him in.  
Aang doesn't like that she goes, but she needs to. She wonders if Zuko would have watched her kill that man, had she not stopped.  
She does not dwell on this.  
She does, however, hug him when they land.  
She knows Aang likes her, but Katara has done all she can to convince him otherwise, because she could never like him.  
"I love you," She whispers so quietly in his ear. Aang, and the rest, are watching but no one hears her words. Her lips are just on his neck, so they can't see the movement. She's always loved Zuko. The universe designed that she loved Zuko before she knew who Zuko was.  
Zuko just holds her tighter.  
"I love you too."

They laugh and pretend that they're still just friends during the Ember Island players, despite the subtext that is practically shoved onto the audience's lap about their secret dalliances. Maybe if they were less sure of themselves with the other, they'd have problems. As it is, it truly is laughable.  
However, the next morning, Zuko has a black eye and Sokka's hand is bandaged. He just sets his jaw, nods to Katara and moves on. Zuko had proven himself to her brother at Boiling Rock, but that's not to say that he wasn't going to be protecting her honor, or something.

They have sex for the first time the night before the comet invasion. Katara didn't go into his room intending for this, however, it seemed silly to wait. They both know they could die. They both know what could happen.  
It seems natural.  
The colors of the candle, albeit tiny, are even more brilliant afterward. It is a world of yellows, oranges, reds, and just a hit of blue. She feels like it is not so different from them.  
Red and blue.  
Red and blue.  
Red and blue.

In the moments when that electric blue bolt was flying at her, Katara wondered if this is how she would die. She wondered if after everything, this was going to be how she would go. She notices how static the hue of it is, and thinks, at least she sees in color.  
But Zuko takes it for her and Katara does not die.  
She's able to capture Azula and when Zuko startles awake, the first thing she sees once again is the gold of his eyes.  
"It's over?"  
"It's over." She promises. He cups her cheek and pulls her down to kiss him. He doesn't care that it's in front of Azula, or the palace guards, or the dignitaries that come out after. He kisses Katara for everyone and for himself.

It's years down the road, when things have settled.  
Katara comes into one of the spare rooms to see Zuko arranging things. Her fingers run along the bassinet and the tiny array of stuffed animals in the corner. She sees the mobile that Aang gave them, full of air bisons and flying lemurs.  
"Have you picked a color?" She asks, knowing they need to paint the room tomorrow if they want it to dry before the heir to the Fire Nation is born. Red is traditional, she's been informed.  
Zuko grins, kicking the unopened can toward her, skidding it across the tile floor.  
Katara opens the paint, laughing.  
"I was thinking," Zuko kisses her forehead, "Purple."

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 **End was hella cheesy, I know, but I'm going back to my young middle school shipper roots when ships had colors and themes (purple and steam for Zutara lol) who else remembers those days?**

 **It would mean a lot if you left a review :) Leave a comment, make an author's whole day!**


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